John smith



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OROFT, WILBUR & OO., OE SAME PLACE.

'CANDY-DROPPING MACH|NE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 293,803, dated February 19, 1884.

Application tiled December T, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful'Improvement in Confectionery-Dropping Machines, which improvement is `fullyT set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in Which- Figures l and 2 are side elevations of a confectionery-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a portion thereof enlarged. Fig. 4L is a top or plan View of a portion thereof. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a detached portion enlarged.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

My invention consists of a confectionerydropping machine having means for properly cutting off the supply of material from the box, removing the pendants as formed from the box, and transferring` them to pans or sheets, on which said pendants settle and assume their shape. Provision is also made for securely holding the pans or sheets which receive the material as dropped, and for adj usting the tension of thewire cut-off employed. Other details are also presented, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a stand or frame which supports the working part of the machine.

B represents a horizontally' and vertically moving box, which is supported on the top of the frame and adapted to contain the material from which the confectioneryY is made, said material being in a soft or plastic condition.

C represents the bottom of the box, the same being perforated, and above the same is a false bottom, D, both bottoms being first secured to the box and separated sufficiently to receive between them a sliding plate or cut-off, E. In

the false bottom D are slots a for the passage of bolts or rivets F, which are connected with the cut-oft` E, the heads or upper ends of the bolts being above the false bottom, and secured to a rod, G, whose ends are passed through the walls of the'box B, thuslsustaining the rod and guiding it in its motions. In

order to operate the rod G, there is attached 5o to one end thereof an arm, G, which is pivoted to the box and has connected with it a lever, G, the arm being extended and playing between stops b 5, projecting from the box, thus limiting the motions of said arm, and consequently of the slide or cut-off E.

H represents a lever, which is pivoted to the frame A below the lever G, and connected with the box B by nieansof an arm, c, and pivoted link o', whereby by the operation of 6o said lever the box, with its appurtenances above described, may be moved in opposite directions.

On the portion of the frame A below the box B is supported a frame, J, to the top of which are secured wires K, extending horizoutally and transversely, and located close toI the under side fof the bottom G of the box, said wires being properly separated. y

L represents a table for supporting the pan 7c or sheet of paper or other material on which the confectionery is dropped, the same being raised or lowered by means of a lever, M, which is mounted on` the frame A, and connectedwith the table by the link d and arin `when the frames or uprights N are raised, are adapted to abut against stops N projecting 8o from the box, for raising the box from the wire frame J.

.In order to hold the pan or sheet on the table L, there is provided a series of wires, P, which, located above the table7 extend hori- 85 zontally, and are properly separated and connected with strips P, the latter being ysustained on and attached to vertically-moving rods Q, which are guided on the frame A, and provided with springs Q', for assisting the de- 9o scent of said rods, and consequently of the wires P, it being noticed that in the normal position of the parts the wires P are separated from the table L, to permit the introduction of the pan or sheet' on which the confectionery is 9 5 dropped, and when the table is raised it ad-` vances to the wires and presses upward against and raises the same, thus firmly clamping the pan or sheet in position.

It will be seen that the openings of the bottoms C D register, and while the openings of the slide E are adapted to register with the first named openings, said slide primarily closes the openings ofthe bottoms G D. XVhen the slide is moved by the lever G, the three sets of openings occupy coincident positions, and short streams ot' material pass through the openings and depend from the bottom C, between the wires K, the lever G now being let go and returned by a suitable spring, thus causing the slide E to close the openings of the two bottoms, and prevent further iiow of the material. The lever H is then operated, thus moving the box over the wires K, andinsuring a connection of pendants of material at the bottom of the box with said wires. lIhe table L is now advanced by the action of the lever llI, and brings the pan or sheet, clamped, as stated, by the wires I), toward and in coutaet with the pendants, and the box is then raised, whereby the streams of material are broken, and the pendants adhere to the pan or sheet. The table is caused or permitted to descend, and the pendants leave the wires K and occupy the pan or sheet, the latter then lowering below the wires I), whereby it may be removed from the table, the material as dropped on the pan or sheet forminglozenges, tablets, &c., uniform in size, the shape whereof may be varied according to the contour of the openings of the bottom of the box. The box returns to its normal position on the descent of the table. A fresh pan or sheet is applied to the table and the levers G II M successively operated, whereby more material is dropped and lodged on the pan or sheet, it however being evident that the order of manipulation may be varied, and according to the condition of some materials the table may require elevation prior to the operation of the slide E or movement `of the box A, or both. The wires K are necessarily held taut during the operation; but when the machine is not in service it is desirable to relieve them of strain. For this purpose the side pieces of the frame J and said wires are connected at or about their centers with the frame A by means of bolts J and nuts J, and at or near the bottom by means of bolt-s J and nuts J, the bolts J forming, in a measure, axes for the pieces of the frame. By loosening the nuts J said pieces are released suiieiently to remove the strain to which the wires are subjected. By tightening the nuts JW the pieces of the frame J are dra-wn out at the top, thus again tightening the wires, necessary for producing good results, when the box with the pendants is moved thereover.

In order to securely connect the wires K with the frame J, I employ plates R for each wire and pass the ends thereof in openings in said plates, and then insert the same behind the heads of screws S, which connect the plates with the frame. (See Fig. 5.) Pins or studs T project from the frame and pass through openin gs in the plates, thus preventing lateral shifting of the latter. The screws S, while serving to connect the plates with the frame and the wires with the plates, are also adapted to adjust the tensions of the wires, it being noticed that the plates are set out at one end from the frame, and the pins or studs 'I form pivots on which the plates are permitted to turn while adjusting the same.

In order to assist the flow of the material through the openings in the bottom ofthe box, a head, U, is placed in the box, rested on the material, and pressed down by a weight or springs, V, the pressure thus being correspondingly exerted on the material.

It is evident that thus the lever G and connected parts maybe attached to the wire frame J. so as to impart sliding motions thcreto,and the stops N fixed to said frame, so as to raise and lower the same, in which ease the box B is made stationary, thus accomplishing the same results as where the box is adapted to raise and lower and slide-viz., the connection of the streams of material in either ease being broken, and the pendants left on the wires K, from whence they are afterward transferred to the pan or sheet.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a eonfectionery-dropping machine, a material-box provided with a bottom and a false bottom, both perforated, and having between them a perforated slide or eut-off, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a confectionery-machine, a horizontally and vertically moving material-box, and a cut-off below the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Cutoffwires connected with a supportingframe,whereby they maybe relieved of strain, or subjected thereto, as desired, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Cutoff wires connected with the supporting-frame by means of adjustable plates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a eonfectionery-dropping machine, a material-box and a ent-off device, in combination with a rising and falling table having a clamp for the pan or sheet on which the confectionery is dropped, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a confectionery-dropping machine, a rising and falling table and a clamp,the latter' being raised by the table, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a confectionery dropping machine, clamping-wires mounted freely on the frame of the machine, and a rising and falling table l0- cated below said wires,wherebya pan or sheet may be placed on the table and clamped by the wires when the rising table comes in contact with the wires, the table-and the wires then IIO advancing to the pendent material on the botand sliding eutoff,'a Wire out-off, a rising and ro tom of the supplvbox, substantially as and falling table and olanip Controlled thereby, for the purpose set forth. and means for operating said box and table, 8. In a confectionery-dropping machine, a combined and operating substantially as `and 5 material-box and a rising and falling table for the purpose set forth.

provided with stops which abut when the v JOHN SMTH. table is elevated, substantially as and for theV Witnesses: purpose set forth. JOHN A. WIEDERsHEIM,

9. A slidingbox With a perforated bottom C. N. JORDAN. 

